Here’s a nice article about the City’s new crop of store-front revival “microcinemas” from this weekend’s NY Times Arts & Liesure section. I know a few of these spaces are listed on CT, including the Maysles Cinema. Not sure if they’ve all made the roster yet.
I also set the street view above. The cinema entrance is between the tree on the left and the lamp post.
This is a terrific photo, Howard! My compliments to the photographer. This series of interior images puts to shame the dark shots I uploaded here a while back.
Not terrifically important since we have many photos of the Ziegfeld uploaded here, but I set the street view to the rear of the theater on W. 55th Street because Google’s Street View for W. 54th between 6th and 7th seems to be hopelessly broken. When you try to view down that block, you are transported to a stretch of W. 44th Street instead!
I aim to please, Al! I know Warren was happy to see this one finally included. Seems the Google Street View is hopelessly broken when it comes to this stretch of W. 54th Street. Even in a new browser, when you go to street view on the block, it brings you to W. 44th Street.
So, “Cleopatra” not only nearly sunk Fox, but preceded the closing of the Alhambra, eh? In any event, the restaurant that we thought might have occupied part of the former theater space appears to have closed. I’m unable to determine online what, if anything, has taken its place. Also appears that the bowling alley is located on the 3rd floor of the building. Not sure if that exists in what would have been some of the theater space’s upper reaches.
Goes to show the magic of filmmaking. I got the impression that the interior of the “Pandora” was that of a much older and more ornate theater than I imagined either the National or the Rialto to be. Those are two of the few Times Square cinemas I never attended. Always figured the National for a modern unadorned box and the Rialto as more of a streamlined art deco affair. I just assumed the interiors were shot in L.A. The movie also makes use of the exit alley for the Empire that ran along the theater’s eastern side between it and the Liberty.
While several Times Square theaters are seen throughout the movie, it was the old Empire Theatre, the 42nd Street grindhouse, that served as the exterior of the fictional “Pandora’s Arcade Theatre” – which is where the kid in “The Last Action Hero” is magically transported into the action flick being projected on the screen. If you go to the Empire’s page on CT, I uploaded a couple of shots of the theatre from 1993, when some of the set dressing from the movie still adorned the facade.
Can’t really make it out completely, but it reads something like “Closed visit our market at” such-and-such street “and Broadway” (the R in Broadway is missing from the marquee). Can’t make out the first two words on the last line of the marquee, but the line ends with “to the area.”
I agree, Al. However, NYC records indicate that the Regines structure was already approved for use by “stores and factory” in 1927, according to the more legible of two certificates of occupancy available for online viewing. The other, older c of o also seems to indicate 1st floor usage as a store and is dated in the 1920’s – but the last digit in the year is illegible. The structure currently situated at 1892 Third Avenue was built new as a 1-story store in 1957.
So, assuming the address above is correct for the Progress Theatre, it seems to have been demolished over 50 years ago.
Seems to have happened on more than a couple of theaters, Al. I wonder if there’s a fix available for that? Perhaps data stored somewhere than can somehow be retrieved. Of course, in a lot of cases, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to start anew with the introductory comments.
Hey robboehm… The Japanese Garden was located several blocks to the north of the New Yorker, near 96th Street, and would not be visible in the shot above. The marquee you are looking at belonged to the former Stoddard Theatre, which had been closed and converted into the Garden Supermarket in the 1950’s. It was located on the next block to the north of the New Yorker, between West 89th and West 90th Streets.
Oh yes, David. The bane of every photographer interested in documenting street-level architecture! I have hundreds of photos ruined by those lines. Same can sometimes be said of trees in full bloom, when you’re out there between April and October! Thankfully, Manhattan is at least one area where above ground lines are virtually non-existant.
Ha. So far I’ve seen a street view defaulted to a tunnel and now this on the GWB. Both times, heading for New Jersey! Hope this one gets re-set soon so it can be corrected!
No, that wasn’t it, Al… but thanks for the suggestion. I remember my folks had just seen “High Anxiety” during its initial release. My dad promised to take me to the movies and I really wanted to see the Mel Brooks film, but also wanted to go see (finally) “Magical Mystery Tour.” Since he had just seen “High Anxiety,” he agreed to trek into the city to take me to see the Beatles' movie. It wasn’t a program of Beatles films, just “Magical Mystery Tour” and the other two rock-music related movies. And definitely a theater with a balcony. I wish the old Cue Magazine was imaged online like the Voice and New York Magazine. I’m almost positive that’s where I found the listing for those films.
Been searching the google archive of Village Voice and New York Magazine back issues to try and figure where in hell I saw a triple feature of the Beatles' “Magical Mystery Tour” along with “An American Band” (a short, almost coporate bio-reel about Grand Funk Railroad) and Jean Luc-Godard’s “Sympathy for the Devil” back around late December 1977 or January 1978. I know it was downtown somewhere, but I can’t recall exactly where, as my dad took me via a couple of subway lines and I wasn’t paying much attention. The theater definitely had a balcony, which is where we sat. Maybe I’m wrong about the date, but it was definitely while the Mel Brooks' movie “High Anxiety” was early in its release. Just been a personal quest of mine to figure out where I saw films with my dad – and this one has been a bitch to nail down!
According to the article, the facade will be preserved, but it looks like the theater’s interior will be gutted, with certain architectural elements – chandeliers, a fountain and a grand staircase – to be incorporated into the new space. When completed, there will be two small theaters – one seating 199 and the other only 99 patrons.
A shame that the historic facade was not allowed to survive the building’s repurposing. Welcome to the site, jnova. Should the introductory comments be corrected to reflect that Adriana and Ramon were the purchasers of this theater in the 1980’s, not Jesus?
That’s right. Graves was in the giant grasshopper flick, I believe was called “Beginning of the End” from around the same time! Too many giant insect films to keep up with! I don’t think I’ve seen either of those films since they used to play on WNEW TV back in the days of Creature Features!
In any event, the street view was kindly unlocked, so I was able to correct the location to where I believe the theater must have stood, across the street from 172 and 174 Sunrise Highway. Seems accurate… If you compare the street view with the 1983 shot of the Gables posted earlier from the American Classic Images website, you’ll see that both pictures show the dotted white lines on the street veering off from the double yellow line, indicating the beginning of a westbound left-turn lane on Sunrise.
Here’s a nice article about the City’s new crop of store-front revival “microcinemas” from this weekend’s NY Times Arts & Liesure section. I know a few of these spaces are listed on CT, including the Maysles Cinema. Not sure if they’ve all made the roster yet.
I also set the street view above. The cinema entrance is between the tree on the left and the lamp post.
This is a terrific photo, Howard! My compliments to the photographer. This series of interior images puts to shame the dark shots I uploaded here a while back.
Not terrifically important since we have many photos of the Ziegfeld uploaded here, but I set the street view to the rear of the theater on W. 55th Street because Google’s Street View for W. 54th between 6th and 7th seems to be hopelessly broken. When you try to view down that block, you are transported to a stretch of W. 44th Street instead!
I aim to please, Al! I know Warren was happy to see this one finally included. Seems the Google Street View is hopelessly broken when it comes to this stretch of W. 54th Street. Even in a new browser, when you go to street view on the block, it brings you to W. 44th Street.
Wow. Built by “colored money.” That clipping is a little time-capsule, eh?
So, “Cleopatra” not only nearly sunk Fox, but preceded the closing of the Alhambra, eh? In any event, the restaurant that we thought might have occupied part of the former theater space appears to have closed. I’m unable to determine online what, if anything, has taken its place. Also appears that the bowling alley is located on the 3rd floor of the building. Not sure if that exists in what would have been some of the theater space’s upper reaches.
Goes to show the magic of filmmaking. I got the impression that the interior of the “Pandora” was that of a much older and more ornate theater than I imagined either the National or the Rialto to be. Those are two of the few Times Square cinemas I never attended. Always figured the National for a modern unadorned box and the Rialto as more of a streamlined art deco affair. I just assumed the interiors were shot in L.A. The movie also makes use of the exit alley for the Empire that ran along the theater’s eastern side between it and the Liberty.
While several Times Square theaters are seen throughout the movie, it was the old Empire Theatre, the 42nd Street grindhouse, that served as the exterior of the fictional “Pandora’s Arcade Theatre” – which is where the kid in “The Last Action Hero” is magically transported into the action flick being projected on the screen. If you go to the Empire’s page on CT, I uploaded a couple of shots of the theatre from 1993, when some of the set dressing from the movie still adorned the facade.
Can’t really make it out completely, but it reads something like “Closed visit our market at” such-and-such street “and Broadway” (the R in Broadway is missing from the marquee). Can’t make out the first two words on the last line of the marquee, but the line ends with “to the area.”
I agree, Al. However, NYC records indicate that the Regines structure was already approved for use by “stores and factory” in 1927, according to the more legible of two certificates of occupancy available for online viewing. The other, older c of o also seems to indicate 1st floor usage as a store and is dated in the 1920’s – but the last digit in the year is illegible. The structure currently situated at 1892 Third Avenue was built new as a 1-story store in 1957.
So, assuming the address above is correct for the Progress Theatre, it seems to have been demolished over 50 years ago.
Fixed the street view above. Looks like the theater building has been replaced by entirely new construction. I think we can call this one demolished.
Seems to have happened on more than a couple of theaters, Al. I wonder if there’s a fix available for that? Perhaps data stored somewhere than can somehow be retrieved. Of course, in a lot of cases, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to start anew with the introductory comments.
Hey intass123… Kurt already posted those pics last month. Click on the “photos” tab at the top of this page to see them all.
Hey robboehm… The Japanese Garden was located several blocks to the north of the New Yorker, near 96th Street, and would not be visible in the shot above. The marquee you are looking at belonged to the former Stoddard Theatre, which had been closed and converted into the Garden Supermarket in the 1950’s. It was located on the next block to the north of the New Yorker, between West 89th and West 90th Streets.
Oh yes, David. The bane of every photographer interested in documenting street-level architecture! I have hundreds of photos ruined by those lines. Same can sometimes be said of trees in full bloom, when you’re out there between April and October! Thankfully, Manhattan is at least one area where above ground lines are virtually non-existant.
Ha. So far I’ve seen a street view defaulted to a tunnel and now this on the GWB. Both times, heading for New Jersey! Hope this one gets re-set soon so it can be corrected!
And, by the way, that might be the highest canopy marquee I’ve ever seen on a local neighborhood movie theater!
Here’s an active link to the image moviegoer posted earlier.
“The Talented Mr Ripley” is actually a very fine movie.
No, that wasn’t it, Al… but thanks for the suggestion. I remember my folks had just seen “High Anxiety” during its initial release. My dad promised to take me to the movies and I really wanted to see the Mel Brooks film, but also wanted to go see (finally) “Magical Mystery Tour.” Since he had just seen “High Anxiety,” he agreed to trek into the city to take me to see the Beatles' movie. It wasn’t a program of Beatles films, just “Magical Mystery Tour” and the other two rock-music related movies. And definitely a theater with a balcony. I wish the old Cue Magazine was imaged online like the Voice and New York Magazine. I’m almost positive that’s where I found the listing for those films.
Been searching the google archive of Village Voice and New York Magazine back issues to try and figure where in hell I saw a triple feature of the Beatles' “Magical Mystery Tour” along with “An American Band” (a short, almost coporate bio-reel about Grand Funk Railroad) and Jean Luc-Godard’s “Sympathy for the Devil” back around late December 1977 or January 1978. I know it was downtown somewhere, but I can’t recall exactly where, as my dad took me via a couple of subway lines and I wasn’t paying much attention. The theater definitely had a balcony, which is where we sat. Maybe I’m wrong about the date, but it was definitely while the Mel Brooks' movie “High Anxiety” was early in its release. Just been a personal quest of mine to figure out where I saw films with my dad – and this one has been a bitch to nail down!
According to the article, the facade will be preserved, but it looks like the theater’s interior will be gutted, with certain architectural elements – chandeliers, a fountain and a grand staircase – to be incorporated into the new space. When completed, there will be two small theaters – one seating 199 and the other only 99 patrons.
A shame that the historic facade was not allowed to survive the building’s repurposing. Welcome to the site, jnova. Should the introductory comments be corrected to reflect that Adriana and Ramon were the purchasers of this theater in the 1980’s, not Jesus?
That’s right. Graves was in the giant grasshopper flick, I believe was called “Beginning of the End” from around the same time! Too many giant insect films to keep up with! I don’t think I’ve seen either of those films since they used to play on WNEW TV back in the days of Creature Features!
In any event, the street view was kindly unlocked, so I was able to correct the location to where I believe the theater must have stood, across the street from 172 and 174 Sunrise Highway. Seems accurate… If you compare the street view with the 1983 shot of the Gables posted earlier from the American Classic Images website, you’ll see that both pictures show the dotted white lines on the street veering off from the double yellow line, indicating the beginning of a westbound left-turn lane on Sunrise.
Did this theater ever have a balcony when it was a single screen? And did it ever run repertory or revival in the late ‘70’s?